It was a frenzied last few seconds to say the least. As quick as it seemed like AJ Slaughter was fouled and would shoot two free throws for a chance to tie, a mysterious timeout was called. Through the chaos, visiting Houston held on for a 74-72 win.[details]

OVERVIEWColeman's path to becoming the first national scoring champion in school history took an unusual path. One of just four Cougars in University of Houston annals to lead the nation in any statistical category, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Bo Outlaw and Lyle Harger, he also joined Elvin Hayes and Otis Birdsong as the only UH players to post back-to-back 30-point performances.

Growing up, Coleman wasn't taken with the idea of playing organized basketball like many of his peers. He didn't play a 30-game high school schedule, didn't lace up for an elite level AAU team in the spring and certainly didn't bounce around the country attending prestigious summer showcase events.

Coleman was content to stay within the confines of the local street-ball scene, where he earned a reputation for being able to score at will. Upon receiving encouragement from friends to try his hand at playing within an organized system though, he opted to try out for his high school team as a senior.

Despite a wealth of talent, the nuances of playing organized basketball made it an ill fit. He wasn't tuned to the idea of running an offense and was charge prone due to the lack of such calls on the streets.

Coleman would earn All-State and All-Region III honors at Marshall High School, leading the team to a 33-2 record, despite having his coach (Gary Nichols) often kept the guard on a short leash, meaning plenty of his time was spent on the bench where colleges didn't get the opportunity to see him play.

So it was that Coleman did something that has become a habitual practice in his career -- he took matters into his own hands. He spent one season at Gulf Shores Academy, competing for head coach and former UH star Kenneth "Juice" Williams. With no interest coming from four-year schools, he began attending open tryouts hoping to garner the attention of a junior college and earn a scholarship. Enter Southwest Mississippi Community College.

"I was working out for some school and killing one of their guards and I got the offer from Southwest, I was going out of state because nobody thought I was any good," Coleman said. "I told the coaches there, 'I don't know anything about basketball,' but I'll work."

Long summers in the gym helped to Coleman grow into more than just a slasher, but a player capable of hurting teams in a variety of ways.

Coleman parlayed that into a scholarship to Houston after two years at Southwest Mississippi, preferring to be as close to home as possible to be near his ailing mother. His sophomore year at the junior college saw the All-American off-guard rank eighth in the nation in scoring (23.9 points per game) and 10th in steals (3.39 per game). He shot 54.4 percent from the field and averaged 3.1 assists per game.

The move to Houston proved to be a perfect fit. As a junior, Coleman averaged 19.4 points per game, teaming with Rob McKiver to form a deadly scoring duo. He was a five-time Conference USA Rookie of the Week choice and named C-USA Newcomer of the Year. He was the only player in the league to rank among the top five leaders in scoring and rebounding (8.2 rebounds per game). He also led the conference in steals (2.3 per game). His highlight for the year was back-to-back 30-point performances vs. Memphis and Central Florida (teams ranked 18th and 19th, respectively).

As a senior, Coleman was suddenly the top option on offense, and adjustments in his game were going to be necessary.

"My first year people were sagging off me because they knew I was a driver," he said. "So (Houston head coach Tom Penders) told me, 'there's going to come a point and time where you need to develop that three-pointer jumper in order to keep them honest,' so that's what I spent the whole summer working on."

"I worked at pulling up off the dribble, shooting from the outside and just getting comfortable with that. That needed the most work, because I knew I could get to the basket, but this made it harder to guard me. Defenders had to play up on me and that makes it that much easier to get them off the dribble."

Coleman became the first Cougar to lead the nation in scoring and the fourth player in school history to rank as the nation's statistical leader in any category.

Coleman posted nine 30-point games in 2009-10, including a career-high-tying 38-point effort at Tulane on March 6th during the regular-season finale, and tied for fourth in Houston history with twelve 30-point games during his career. He would close out his career ranked 11th on the school's career scoring chart with 1,516 points in only 67 games and became the greatest two-year scorer in Houston history.

Although known for his offensive prowess, Coleman also was a leader on the defensive side of the court. He led the league and ranked sixth in the country with 2.6 steals per game and topped the Cougars with 7.4 rebounds per game, good enough to stand eighth in the league. He became the first Cougar to be named to back-to-back All-Conference USA first-teams since guard Robert McKiver accomplished the feat in 2006-07 and 2007-08. He also earned a place on the NABC All-District XI first-team, the second-straight season he was named to that squad.

Prior to attending the 2010 Portsmouth Invitational, Coleman was one of 22 players to compete at the 2010 Reese's College All-Star Game during Final Four Weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium. He led six players in double digits with 14 points to help guide the Reese's All-Stars to a 106-101 win against the Hershey's All-Stars in that game.

GAME ANALYSIS2008-09 SEASONNamed Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, earning first-team All-C-USA honors, as he was also selected the league's Player of the Week twice and Rookie of the Week five times...Added NABC All-District XI first-team accolades...Started all 32 games during his first season at Houston, leading the team with 620 points (19.4 points per game) on 218-of-512 field goals (42.6 percent), 10-of-48 treys (20.8 percent) and 174-of-228 free throws (76.3 percent)...Second on the squad with 262 rebounds (8.2 rebounds per game)...Was the only player in Conference USA to rank among the league's top-five leaders in both scoring and rebounding...Was the league leader with 2.3 steals per game...Became only the tenth player in school history to record consecutive 30-point games (at No 18/19 Memphis and Central Florida)...Collected 37 assists and blocked four shots...Scored in double figures 31 times and posted 14 double-double performances.

2008-09 SEASON Started in his Cougar debut vs. Georgia Southern during the opening game of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer...Finished with 10 points and three steals vs. the Eagles...Led the Cougars with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting vs. Presbyterian during the consolation game of the 2K Sports Classic...Also posted four steals vs. the Blue Hose...Led all players with 19 points, thanks to 11-of-14 shooting from the free throw line, vs. Western Kentucky during the home opener...Scored 10 of the Cougars' final 13 points vs. the Hilltoppers...Honored as the C-USA Co-Rookie of the Week following those performances...Led all players with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting vs. North Texas...Led all players with 24 points and six steals - all in the second half - at Middle Tennessee...Also grabbed seven rebounds vs. the Blue Raiders...Posted 12 points and eight rebounds vs. Mississippi Valley State...Did a little of everything at Toledo, recording his first double-double...Finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds and added seven steals and a pair of assists vs. the Rockets...Honored as C-USA Rookie of the Week following that contest... Scored a team-high 28 points with seven rebounds and five steals vs. Iowa State...Named C-USA Rookie of the Week for the second straight week for that performance...Recorded second double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds vs. Massachusetts...Finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds at Mississippi State for his third double-double...Scored 22 points with 10 rebounds and three assists vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi...Hit 6-of-10 shots from the field and all 10 attempts from the free throw line vs. the Islanders...Scored all of his game-high 25 points in the second half vs. UAB...Added six rebounds, a steal and his first 3-pointer vs. the Blazers...Finished with 24 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and six assists at UTEP...Posted 14 points and 10 defensive rebounds at C-USA rival Southern Miss...Led all players with 23 points and added three assists vs. C-USA rival East Carolina...Scored 14 points with seven rebounds at Arizona...Posted a game-high 35 points with nine rebounds at No. 18/19 Memphis...Hit 11-of-12 free throws and added two assists and two steals vs. the Tigers...Recorded 30 points with 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals at C-USA rival UCF...Led all players with 27 points and 12 rebounds vs. C-USA rival Rice...Topped all players with 20 points at C-USA rival SMU...Scored a career-high 38 points on 16-of-30 shooting with six rebounds and four assists at C-USA rival Marshall...Led the Cougars with 28 points and 13 rebounds with three assists and a pair of steals vs. C-USA rival UCF...Finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds to help lead the Cougars to the win at C-USA rival Rice...Posted 19 points with a game-high 12 rebounds vs. No. 5/3 Memphis...Scored 22 points - all in the second half - with 11 rebounds vs. SMU. C-USA Tournament: Led all players with 20 points and 14 rebounds during the opening round vs. SMU...Led team with 24 points and 12 rebounds vs. UTEP to lead the Cougars into the semifinals...Recorded 14 points with a team-high six rebounds at #4/3 Memphis.

GAME ANALYSISBecame only third player in school history to record back-to-back 30-point games to open a season, joining Elvin Hayes and Otis Birdsong...Scored a game-high 33 points on 12-of-25 shooting vs. Nicholls State during the season opener...Also added nine rebounds, three assists and four steals vs. the Colonels...Posted a game-high 32 points on 13-of-30 shooting with a team-high seven rebounds and four steals at Nevada...Honored as the C-USA Player of the Week following those performances...Posted 27 points with 15 boards, six assists and three steals vs. No. 25 Oklahoma during the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout...Posted 16 points with four assists and a game-high seven steals vs. San Diego during the Great Alaska Shootout...Led all players with 25 points, including two 3-pointers, and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds at Alaska-Anchorage during the final day of the Great Alaska Shootout...Buried a career-high four 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 29 points and seven rebounds vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi...Led all players with 16 points despite being held to only one points through the first 16 minutes vs. Troy...Led all players with 28 points and added a team-high 12 rebounds while playing al 40 minutes vs. Mississippi State...Finished with a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds vs. The Citadel for his second straight double-double...Posted 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting with four rebounds and four steals vs. TCU...Recorded 19 points with a team-high nine rebounds vs. Louisiana Tech...Led all players with 28 points on 13-of-28 shooting and added a team-high nine rebounds...Posted 22 points with eight rebounds and four steals in 39 minutes at Rice in the C-USA opener...Led all players with 25 points, including 14-of-15 from the free throw line, with five rebounds, five assists and a game-high seven steals...Finished with 22 points, including three 3-pointers, and added six rebounds and three assists vs. UTEP...Posted a game-high 25 points with 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals at East Carolina...Led all players with 30 points, including 16-of-18 from the free throw line, vs. UCF...Topped all players with 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting at Memphis...Posted 37 points on 11-of-23 shooting with 13 rebounds to lead all players in both categories vs. Marshall.. Led all players with 23 points and added seven rebounds and three steals while playing all 40 minutes at UTEP...Posted a game-high 22 points with five rebounds vs. Southern Miss...Recorded game highs of 29 points and 11 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes at Western Kentucky...Recorded 16 points and eight rebounds vs. SMU...Led all players with 26 points and added eight rebounds while playing all 40 minutes at UCF...Topped the Cougars with 20 points at UAB...Finished with a game-high 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting with eight rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes...Led the Cougars with 30 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals with no turnovers while playing all 40 minutes at SMU...Topped all players with 18 points and added nine rebounds, four assists and two steals vs. Rice...Led all players with 38 points on 13-of-21 shooting and topped the Cougars with seven rebounds at Tulane. C-USA Championship: Paced all players with 29 points and added four rebounds with five assists and a steal vs. East Carolina...Hit the game-winning jumper with only five seconds left vs. Memphis during the quarterfinals...Finished with a game-high 21 points and added eight rebounds, two assists and three steals while playing al 40 minutes vs. the Tigers...Finished with a game-high 27 points with five rebounds while playing all 40 minutes vs. Southern Miss in the semifinals...Recorded 13 points with a team-high nine rebounds, six assists and four steals vs. No. 25/21 UTEP in the title game. NCAA Tournament: Led all players with 26 points vs. No. 20/20 Maryland...Also added a team-high eight rebounds with two assists and two steals vs. the Terrapins.

2009-10 SEASONAll-American third-team selection by The NBA Draft Report...All-Conference USA first-team choice and named to the C-USA Championship All-Tournament Team...Earned All-District XI first-team honors from the NABC for the second-straight year...Selected the league's Player of the Week seven times...Became the first player in school history to lead the nation in scoring (25.6 points per game) and only the fourth Cougar to lead the NCAA in any statistical category...His 896 points scored rank third on the school season-record list... Hit on 305-of-717 field goals (42.5 percent), 51-of-161 three-pointers (31.7 percent) and 235-of-319 free throws (73.7 percent)...Led the league with 93 steals, the fourth-best season total by a Cougar in a campaign...Added 90 assists (2.6 assists per game), six blocked shots and became the first Houston guard to lead the team in rebounds (259, 7.4 rebounds per game)...Scored in double figures in 34-of-35 games and delivered six double-double performances.

CAREER NOTESColeman's 1,516 points rank 11th on the school's all-time scoring list, but was also the best total by a Cougar during a two-year span...His scoring average of 22.6 points per game rank fourth in Houston annals, topped by Elvin Hayes (31.0 points per game, 1965-68), Otis Birdsong (24.4 points per game, 1973-77) and Don Boldebuck (22.8 points per game, 1954-56)...One of four players in school history to make over 400 free throws (409) in a career, joining Otis Birdsong (480,), Elvin Hayes (454) and Rob Williams (402, 1979-82)...His 168 steals rank eighth on the Houston all-time record chart...His 896 points scored in 2009-10 rank third on the school season-record list, surpassed by only Elvin Hayes (1,214 in 1967-68) and Otis Birdsong (1,090 in 1976-77)...His scoring average of 25.6 points as a senior rank sixth on the school season-record list...Became the seventh Cougar to make over 300 field goals in a season (305) and his 235 free throws made in 2009-10 tied the Houston annual record first set by Ollie Taylor in 1969-70...His 93 steals in 2009-10 rank fourth and 75 thefts as a junior rank ninth on the school season-record chart...One of just ten players in Cougar annals to score 30 points in back-to-back games (vs. Central Florida and Memphis in 2008-09)...Scored in double figures in 64-of-67 games at Houston, including 20 double-double performances.

HIGH SCHOOLSpent the 2005-06 season at Gulf Shores (Missouri City, Tex.) Academy, playing basketball for head coach and former UH star Kenneth "Juice" Williams...All-Region III and All-State pick in 2004-05 at Fort Bend (Tex.) Marshall High School, his first year of playing organized basketball, competing for head coach Gary Nichols' team that compiled a 33-2 record.

JUNIOR COLLEGESpent two seasons (2006-08) at Southwest Mississippi Community College, playing for head coach Bill Wallace...Earned All-American, All-Mississippi Athletic Junior College Conference and All-Region XXIII honors as a sophomore...That season, he ranked eighth in the nation in scoring (550 points, 23.91 points per game), as he connected on 197-of-362 field goals (54.4 percent), making 23-of-75 treys (30.7 percent) and 133-of-195 free throws (68.2 percent)...Grabbed 91 rebounds (4.0 rebounds per game) with 71 assists (3.1 assists per game) and 78 steals (3.4 per game) in 23 contests during the 2007-08 campaign...As a freshman, he averaged 23.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 5.0 steals per game.

SCOUTING REPORTPositives: Lacks the size you look for in an off-guard, but has a decent wingspan (6-foot-5) and standing reach (8 feet), along with a strong frame...Gets explosive acceleration pulling up, setting his feet and leaving the floor with his jump shot...Not a great facilitator, he is a capable ball-handler with no problem finishing at the rim, constantly drawing contact...Very creative as a scorer with the power to score inside and the high release and good mechanics to hit from 12-15 feet...Despite his lack of size, he is a surprisingly aggressive rebounder who uses his vertical leap and power to get to the defensive boards quite regularly and is one of the better rebounders among backcourt players...Power helps him compensate for a lack of great height...Slower defenders struggle vs. Coleman, as he has the hip snap and weave, along with a nice array of fakes to force the defender out of the paint in attempts to try and alter his shot...Generates very good hang time on the way to the rim and has more than enough strength to absorb punishment...Cool under pressure and has had his fair share of late-game heroics...Playing on the dribble-drive, he might not have the greatest lateral agility, but he has the balance and feet to stop on a dime, gain separation and then turn and attack the basket with power...Very good using the glass for his reverse lay-up...Has very good body control, knowing when to pull up and make his shot from mid-range, even when off-balance...Bit of a gunslinger, but uses his upper-body power well to gain enough space to make his shots driving in the paint... Quick pulling up and setting his feet to flip in a jumper from mid-range...Knows how to get his body wide to be fed by the passer working in the post...Does a good job hedging on screens because of his power and is very active with his hands operating in the passing lanes, consistently coming up with the big steal.

Negatives: Too undersized to play the two-guard spot and lacks the ability to create for others at the point...Better scorer working inside, despite his undersized frame, and makes poor decisions shooting from the perimeter...Needs the ball in his hands to contribute...Has poor shooting mechanics at the foul line and lacks great court vision (will run into double teams or traffic often)...His inconsistency shooting beyond the arc has NBA teams concerned he will not be capable of spreading the floor...Lack of high-level experience along with his advanced age leaves him with a short window in which to develop his game.

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Compares To: JERMAINE TAYLOR, Houston -- Coleman is an undersized two-guard with not enough basketball IQ to create shots for others if asked to play the point. He is better served coming off the bench to provide an instant offensive spark. He has a strong inside game for a guard, but lacks range shooting from the perimeter and takes too many ill-advised shots when he should be distributing the ball instead.